2011 BMW X5 Discussion

I just traded a 2009 X5 diesel for the 2011 diesel. I expected the differences to be limited to bumper styling and updated iDrive (which is amazing and dramatically improved). But it was more.

The 2011 is quieter (less road/exhaust/engine noise), the suspension is slightly softer, and the throttle response seems to be better because there's less diesel/turbo pause or hesitation before power is built.

Those changes add up to a smoother, more refined, less truck-like driving experience. You might not notice or appreciate the difference unless you went directly from a 2009 diesel to a 2011 diesel, but the difference is significant.

I was 95% happy with the 2009 and I love the diesel concept. The only flaw was a little too much exhaust and road noise that was a little too intrusive into the cabin. With this added level of refinement, I'm now 110% completely happy with the vehicle.

And kudos to BMW for listening to owners (like me who posted all over the internet recommending noise reduction to make the vehicle more competitive.)

Comments

I added the nav system when I ordered my X5 2011 diesel which I have had for about 3 months. It won't accept some addresses and sends me on a circuitous route on most others (as much as twice the distance it should be). Dealer comment is "there has been lots of trouble with the nav". No fix in sight. The car is leased in case there were problems like this. If I get a new one down the road, I will not pay for an added nav (I now use the Garmin I bought some years ago for a Lexus that did not have nav---works way better than the BMW nav system at a fraction of the cost).

My wife and I bought a brand new 2011 X5 Diesel. One year later we began to hear fluid floating back in forth in the cabin of the car, on the driver's side, as we accelerated and stopped. Around the same time the engine light came on. I'm on my forth visit back to the dealer within two months for the same problems. It wasn't until the third visit they're explanation was that the D.E.F was low and the noise was a normal occurrance in diesels. They said they topped off the D.E.F and the light was due to some nitrous oxide levels. No sooner than a day later I was right back at the dealer and they insisted on it being normal. As for the engine light, they're still trying to figure it out. I refuse to accept that a luxury brand like BMW that spends millions of dollars on researching noise reduction will be okay with consumers driving their cars hearing fluids sloshing around. Has anyone dealt with this issue?